Circular knitting machine



5 Sheets-Sheet l PAGE.

BY Hls ATTORNEYS HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI ALBERT E.

Aug. 15, 1933.

A. E. PAGE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3l. 1932 Ta Z.

Aug. 15, 1933. A E PAGE l 1,922,977

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Flled Aug. 31. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l .r1 Q N Allg. 15, A E PAGE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 bum.

INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS m IM- DD DU @DEU DU INVENTOR BY HIS ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 3&9

ALBERT E. PAGE Filed Aug. 51. 1932 www@ T'afl.

Aug. 15, 1933.

Aug. 15, 1933. ,1 E MGE 1,922,977

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5l. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 TIN* l NIX/"Taggia ALBERT E. PAGE BV HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 15,

,Y i v1,922,977

CIRCULAR KNITTINGV MACHINE Albert Page, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, New York, `N. Y., a Corporation of Massachusetts Y Application August 31, 1932. Serial No. 631,249

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a circular knitting machine having independent needles, and more particularly to mechanism for producing a wide variety of stitches thereon. @ne of the objects of the invention is to produce a machine capable of making hosiery containing tuck stitches and float stitches in the same stocking at any desired parts of the stocking and on all or selected portions ofthe needle circle.` In a machine made according to the invention the regularstitch cam can be lowered to tucking position and there are a multiplicity of means for giving this movement.

In the drawings the invention is shown embodied in' a Scott t Williams revolving needle cylinder hosiery machine oi the general type set forth in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,152,850, dated September 7, 1915, and in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,282,958, dated October 29, 1918.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a View of a stocki ng containing tuck and float stitches made on a machine containing the new attachment;

the body of the leg of the stocking Figure 3 is a development of part of the cam cylinder, needles and jacks, when adjusted to make a tucked picot edge, the needles moving from right to left in the direction of the arrow;`

Figure 4 is a development similar to Figure 3, showing the cam cylinder, needles and jacks adjusted to make a partial float stitch; the solid line position oi the right-hand stitch cam being the position of this cam when making a partial float stitch;

`Figure 5 is a plan view of the head of the machine taken on aline above the bed plate, showing the various cams which engage the needle butts and the levers more directly associated therewith;

Figure 6 is an elevation partly in section from the iront of the machine showing the pattern chain and cams on the pattern chain shaft which control the leading stitch.

cam;

Figure 7 is an elevation from the left side ci part of the machine, showing some of the levers oi the leading Vstitch controlling the lowering cam;

courses in the leg; while Figure 8 is a detail showing the rocking cam on the high speed gear for making th e partial neat Figure 9 is a development of the cam paths on the main pattern drum for the levelling cam, the linger for the heavy yarn and the auxiliary clearing cam, the paths beng shown with cams, one below the other, which act simultaneously; the three thrust rods being shown one ,below 'the other in the positions which they occupy during the making of the iioat stitch pattern in the welt.

Referring first to the fabric which can be made on this novel machine, in Figure 1 I have shown a stocking with an inturned welt, such as referred to in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,282,958, there being a picot edge 732 formed by tucking on alternate needles for four courses, so that when the needle is finally cleared there'are four loops accumulated. In the welt are shown a group 733 of two horizontal stripes, a group 734 of three stripes and a single horizontal stripe 735, each stripe being formed by floating the heavier of the two yarns on alternate needles for two courses. The leg of the stocking is formed by knitting first two courses 727, 728 in which the heavy yarn 729 is floated in alternate wales, and then two courses 839, 831, in which both'yarns are knit in; the intervening wales in all courses being knit of both yarns. In this way an ornamental structure '736 such as is shown inthe lower half of Figure 2, is obtained. This is similar in part to the patent to Frederick W. Smith No.-1,'7'l2,230, dated August, 1930. Y

Various stitches can be obtained by manipulating the needles, jacks and knitting cams in the manner shown in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3 is shown the adjustment of the various parts for knitting tuck stitches on alternate needles. In this gure the needles are moving from right to left. The needles at the normal level N do not clear their latches. There is a leading stitch Cain 361 shown in lowered position. The needles on the part of the needle circle which knit the heel have short butts, while those which knit the instep have long butts. Every alternate needle in the circle has a jack 380 below it, the interveningv needles being jackless. The long butt jackless needles are designated by the reference character n3, while the short butt jackless needles are marked with the character n2. All the needles having jacks are indicated by the character nl, whether long or short butt. The function of the jacks 389 is to raise their needles to the clearing point, one purpose Vbeing to produce tuckng on intervening needles. The jacks 380 are manipulated by a cam 366 located in the jackV cam path at a point just after the usual 110 needle switch cam 415. The jacks riding up their cam 366 raise their needles nl to the clearing point, whereas the other or tucking needles n2 and n3 approaching at normal level N are not cleared. These tuck needles pass under the top center cain 357, keeping the yarns in their hooks, and ride down under the regular stitch cam 360. When they pass the throat plate, their hooks are high enough to take new bights of yarn from both of the yarn fingers F1, F2. The auxiliary clearing cam 8412 shown at the leit of Figure 3 is retracted during the knitting of tuck. stitches.

When it is desired to iioat the heavier yarn 729 on alternate needles, the parts are adjusted as shown in Figure 4. In this case the yarn linger F1, which feeds the heavier yarn 729, is raised slightly so that needles which approach the throat plate at the tucking level do not receive this heavier yarn. However, in orderto get iloat stitches rather than tuck stitches, it is necessary to have the auxiliary clearing cam 8112 inserted to roperative position as shown in Figure 4. This cam raisesall the needles tothe cleared level. Because it is desired that only alternate needles take both yarns, a levellingr cam 822 is inserted to draw all the needles down to the normal or tucking level N after they have been cleared by the auxiliary cam 842 and just prior to the timethat the jacks riding up their cam v366 begin to raise their needles to the cleared level. In this way allY the needles are cleared 'and then brought down to the tucking level and `the needles nl havingjacks thereunder are im- Mayf2k7, 1913.

In order to get the ornamental structure shown inv thelower part of Figure 2 or the groups of stripes 73,3, 7311, 735 in the welt, two courses are made asdescribed above andv then one or more courses* are made with both yarns vknit in on all needles. The alternate two coursesfloatand two courses plain can be repeatedas manytiznes as desired. In Figure A1 the entire legis made this way, In order to cause both yarns to be knit on all needles when the parts are adjusted as in Figurefl, it is necessary merely to raise the leading stitch cani 361 to its normal level, i. e., the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. If it is desired to make an linstep having fabric such` as shown in the lower part of Figure 2 where Ytwo plain courses are alternated with two courses in which the heavier yarn is floated on alternate needles-and at the same time knit a plain sole on the stocking, it is then necessary merely to withdraw partially the Ylevelling cam 822 shown at the right of Figure 4 until it misses the short butt needles but remains in contact with the long butt needles. In this way the long butt ljackless needles n3 are brought down to the tuck level by the levelling caro E522 as 'heretofore andtherefore they miss the heavier, yarn 729.v

The short butt jackless needles 'n2 on the sole pass the levelling carri 822 without being lowered fand all the needles on the soleapproach' the throat plate at the clearing point and take both yarns.

` Turning now to the machine which produces such fabrics, it should be noted that mechanism has been provided by which the regular` righthand stitch cain 361 is lowered. whenever any fancy stitches are desired, and a multiplicity of controls for this cam and the other knitting cams involved are provided in such a manner that selective control is provided either at long intervals `or at recurrent short periods, without adding to the number of basic control elements in the machine.

Referring rst to the making oi tuck stitches, it will be recalled that it is necessary merely to keep the leading stitch cani in its lowered position, as shown in Figure 3, i'or four courses. In the machine shown in the drawings, when the picot edge is desired the clearing cam is lowered under the control or the main pattern chain of the machine by means of a high lug 836 on a link on that chan.- rBefore describing the connection for this purpose between the pattern chain and the clearing cam, it is desired to point out that this pattern chain not only provides this picot edge selection but initiates and stops a recurrent movenient of the clearing cam when making iloat stitchistripe. To make the picot edge the high lug 836 on the chain operates levers which lower the clearing cam and hold it down .for four courses until the chain is racked forward once more. In the Scott & Williams machine this racking of the pattern chain occurs every our courses. If, in a machine whose chain is adjusted in this manner, it is desired to have a picot edge formed by a two-course tuck, this can bek done by employing the tucking mechanism show-n in the Page Patent lio. lfl, dated February l, 1921, or by use of the high speed gear G5, as described below.

The lever mechanism -for this tucliing comprises the following: There is an arm 368 over lying the edge of: the pattern chain where the high lugs 83S are located, namely, the left side oi the chain as one faces 'the iront of the machine. This chain reading ann 36S part of a bracket 370 pivotally mounted on a rod above the pattern chain running parallel to the pattern chain shaft. The arm 36S is pressed toward its down position by a tension spring 369. At the left end of this bracket 370 is a lifting bar 846 passing upwardly to a position opposite the bed plate B of the machine, this lifting bar 846 being pivotally attached to the middle of a raising arrn 844. The left end of this raising arm is pivoted to the bed plate B and its right-hand end, underlies an operating lever 719 for the righthand stitch cam 361. See igures 5 and 6)'. This operating lever 719 is pivoted intermediate its ends, with the result that when the bar 846 moves upwardly the clearing cam is lowered. It should be noted that there is a small space between the raising arm 844 and the clearing cam operating lever 71d when the arm 368 is on the surface of the chain links as shown in Fig. 6, showing that it is only the last part of the upward movement of the raising bar 846 whichactuates the clearing carn. This concentration of the effective action of the raising bar 841.6 in the last part oi its movement is necessary in order that the pattern chain orthe pattern chain shaft lmay be used to initiate and stop the operation of the clearing cani 361 at the beginning andy endfof a series of recurrent'operations, as for instance, in making the pattern of the leg of the stocking ilo shown 'in Figures land 2, while-permitting the clearing cam to be raised and lowered during this period.

I now have' described the positive and direct control 'of the clearing cam from the pattern chain in which the pattern chain'holds the clearing'cam down in its lowered positionI as long as the high lug on the pattern chain is under the chain reading arm 368,l to make the tuck picot edge. I will now describe the two permissive controls exercised over that clearing cam bythe* pattern chain and the patternchain shaft rewhich passes upwardly to a position.V about on a `level with the arm 844 but tothe right of same.

This clutch actuating rod-is designed to connect and disconnect certain racking mechanism with the clearing cam operating vlever r719 so as to provide recurrent movements of the clearing cam for formation of stripes in the welt. In the drawings the racking mechanism which is adapted to lower the clearing cam for two courses and then release same is operated from the high speed or plate gear at the right side of the machine, which is a gear revolving continuously, making one revolution vfor every four revolutions of the cylinder. On the outer edge of this gear wheel is a cam 66 and in its path lies the racking lever 307. `Through an extension.308 of this racking llever-307 and a racking lever 725 the indications of the cam 66 `on the plate gear 65 are transmitted to a pawl '723 to which the racking lever -725 is fastened'by a pin 526. This pawl is pivoted about an4 axis 520, the pawl being. directly on top of a bell crank lever 720 which constitutes an actuating cam for the clearing cam operating lever 719. actuating ca m underlies the .pawl 723 andthe other arm underlies a lug 724 on one side of the `operating lever '719. This lug 724 is located on the opposite side of the pivot point of the lever '719 from the clearing camso that when one armV of the bell crank lever 720 pushes underneath this lug 724 the clearing cam will be lowered. The

'pivot point. 520 is so located that when the cam 522 comingfrom the'pattern chain bracket 2370v passes upwardly through a hole in the actuating lever 720'and when the readingarm 3GB-is raised by a low lug on the pattern chain the upperV end of this clutch rod 522 projects above the surface of `the cam 720. When the reading arm 368 has notfbeen raisedV by a linkon the pattern chain,

the upper end of 'the' rod `522 is Viiush with or lower than the upper surface ofthe cam 720. The" pawl723 lying directly lon the'upper surface of the actuating cam 720is notched at its Vouter endl in such a manner as to leavel clearV that-portion of thesur-face of' the actuating cam 720 through One arm of this bell crank lever or which the upper end of the rod` 522 projectsfexi cept at such times as the pawl isgiven a move- L ment by the racking arm -725. There is a projec-"l tion or notch 721on'the outer end of thepawl 723 whichwill `engage the upperend Yofvthe rod- 522 when that rod is raised andthe pawl is'mov'-= ing to the right by the `racking arm725. I It will be obvious then that when the racking arm 725 under the influence of the cam 66 on the high speed gear 65 swings the pawlltoward the right, this notch '721 will catch on vthe upper en'dof` the rod 522, pivot the bell crank lever 720 to the right, bringing one 'arm of that lever under the lug '724 on the operating lever 719 and causing the clearingl cam to be lowered. As alreadyv pointed out, the low lug on the chain will underlie the chain arm 368 during four revolution 'of the needle cylinder, but the control of that low lug being permissive, as distinguished from the control of the high lug,` the actual lengthlof time that the clearing cam is lowered is` determined by the racking mechanism just described and the cam 66V is preferably made of such length thatthe clearing cam lis lowered f'or only approximately two revolutions of the needle cylinder.

of .special stitchesY and two courses of plain stitches throughoutthe leg, the'racking mechanism justdescribed is made use of, but instead of having a Vseries of low links on the chain, special cams are provided on the shaft on which Ythe pattern chaink is mounted. As can be seenv from a glance at Figure 6, the pattern chain, carried by its usual sprocket wheel 84,`is mounted on a pattern chain or clutch shifting shaft 80, as usual. As explained inlthe patent to e' Robert W. Scott No. 1,152,850 above-mentioned, sprocket wheel 84 turns loosely on its shaft 80, the shaft being turned by means of a pawl controller 83,` a main pawl and a rack wheel (not shown), which rack wheel is tight on the shaft 80. -The shaft 80 makes one revolution for each complete stocking knit and the chain also makes one revolution during that time. The main patte'rnfdrur'nv 120 and the shaft `8i) are vrackedaround together.

On the left end ofthis shaft is a gear 479 Awhich is in the train of gears driving theusual main pattern drum 120, and carried on the left side of this gear 479 is` a disk 480 on-which there' are ca1ns481, 482. Referring to Figure 7, the cam 482 corresponds to the leg of thestocking and the cam 481 corresponds to the instep, the space between the two cams being taken up by the racks due to the making of the heel; These cams 481, 482 are read by a chain reading larm extension 8,38 unitary with the chain reading bracket 370. These camsare so adjustedthat the amount of movement which they cause' the" chain reading bracket 370 is equivalent to alow lug on the pattern chain and these camsV are positioned toraise the clutch rod 522 into Voperative position during suchportions of the knitting of the legv and foot as it is desired to have fancy stitches made In describing the stitch cam adjustments]` in Figures 3 and/i, reference isgnade to the auxiliary clearingcam 842 and to the A,fact that when tuck stitches are desired this auxiliary clearing camV is retired and when the `special oat stitches are desired this cam is brought into action. Thisf auxiliary clearing cam is controlled` from` the mainpattern drum-'by mechanism which is shown in Figure 5. This mechanism consists ofV a thrust "rod 840 operated by the cam 'o'nthe mai-n'gpattern drum 120.,.a wire 841 connecting;

theupper endpof-.that thrust rodwith the bracket 839',which; carries theauxiliary V,clearing cam 842. 'IhereV is a spring608 fastenedto the bracket 839 tendingto@pulll that clearing cam-.into operative positiomandpwhen the thrust rodf,840 isv pivoted, byacamon,themainpattern drum, it pulls the auxiliaryl clearing camgawayv` from the yneedles into idle position. ;A Inporder toproduce the kind of` stitches previousl-yfdescribedit isnecessary not onlyto have this auxiliary clearing cam land this movement of the` mainclearing cam, but also to have'a switchgcamlevelling cam and to actuate it radial- 1y.;` This cam islocated inandcarried by,r the samebrack'et as the switch cam Vand is adaptedl tof-,lowergfrom theclearing pointlto the tuck or normal level :N 'all needles in whose path it lies.; Whenit is desired to make tuckstitch, this 2Q-cam hasnofeffecton the needles because the` needles approach it at thetuek-level and. when makingfiioatvstitch around the entire circumference of theneedle circle, the cam aects all the :needles which approach it,lbecause.they.have

all v'been :cleared by the auxiliaryclearing cam 842, just referredv to. cam isradially, at its innermost position, engaging the `butts of all the needles. Assuming that the machine carries needles with butts of different flengths andthat oneiof the. purposes in having these.. buttsbf different lengths is to enable the machine .to,throw the instep needles out of action purposes, such as shown for instance inthe patent toRobert Scott. No. l,64l-,10l, where it is used for 'an auxiliaryv feed camV lever, butmy descrip-V 'ition'here will be confined to such partsvof this f combinedy mechanism-as affect the levelling cam. As alreadymentionedpthe levelling cam is carried bythe bracket' 411 in..which the switch cam is mountedand the levelling cam is radially mov- 5.5i-, able;l Fastened to the rear end of one sideof.- this camis a small wire 582'? which passes outwardly to a point near.the outer edge of the bedplate B.

Here the outer endof theV wirepasses through a levellingx cam retracting armr825, there being a'y 00 screwsleeve onythe Wire just outsidethe arm 825,.

sothat when. thearm. 825 is moved radially outwardit will. exert an, outward pull on thewire 827.- Thisarm 825 is carried byv a pivoted lever] 829whoseother Iend engages a cam face 461-011- f theupperend-of athrust rod 460 and thisthrust rod .and cam face.A are soarranged that when.v

the-thrust rod israised the arm 825 is moved radially-,invvardlY Whenthis arm .isthus moved radial1y..in\vard Iit presses againstj` a. light come... ipression. springm8r26 .on ithe wire, whichin. turn presses ,the-,levelling'came 822,*,radiallyA inward.. Whenfthe thrust rod 460-isdropped thelever; and arm 825;move about the pivot ofV theleverl and the arm-;825 catching. against .the sleeve-cn the wire bracket to-amovement between its forwardposi- Normally, therefore, this It is there-kk retreats the ivellinscamz.; This retracti-rls,move-V ment is caused by a tensionspring -726rstretched betweenthe arm 825 ,and the racking lever ,725.of the racking mechanism. By arranging this mechanism in the manner` just described and as shown in the drawings, itispossible to combinethecontrolling functions-of both the-levelling camand theauxiliary-feed ca m lever inthe one s thrustrodioperating from the main. pattern drum,

The switch cam levelling cam 822 and the.;

switch cam, 415 itself; areV both carried` by .the

usualswitch cam bracket v411 mounted onthebed.l plate B, the levelling cam being mountedon one side of thebracket and -being limitedby the right-hand s'ti-tchqor clearing'icam 361,-,Ihave 100 mounted this in aslightly different manner .fromp that shown in the-PagePatent.1,367,425, above.v

yreferred to, and insteadof .pivotingfthecam about one-end, I vprefer. to raise. and-.lower thev entire `cam,

both the pins cn-which the cam is mounted lying A in slots and thefcambeing fixed withi'elaton to.- the operating lever '719.

The construction of the machinahaving been.- setfforth, its operation will `nowibe described;

Assumingfthat :the machine yis ,knitting-from; top-" everyother needle for one course by means 013120.

selecting needles through Vuse of 'thejacks and then to all the needles, and subsequently having loops heldon the transfer jacks in the dial of' the machine while the welt is being formed.r

The dial :and Itransfer -jacks are not `shown in 125.'.

these drawings these being well` known to the art and shown and'explained iin the yRobert W; Scott Patent No. 1,282,958. During the knitting of that portion of the welt which is to form the Y,

inner side -of fthe fold of the usual doubled-welt, 130,l the yarn finger F1 yis'down on the VthroatplateV and both yarns are'beingv fed to all the'needles.v The bracket 370 is in its lowermost position, therebeing no lugs underneaththe-chainreading arm 368 andno cam under the pattern shaft reading arm 838.A yThe spring-608 therefore holds the stitch cam 361 in its normal raised position l where it 'clears allthe needles. With thebracket 370 in its lowermost position',the clutch actuating rod 522 does not affect the stitch cam. 361. Thethrust rodA 460 foi-,the levelling cam' 822 lies on the low cam 824, causing vthe levelling cam 822'` to be in. However, since all the needles are cleared'by the stitch cam 361, there is no selecvtionpand all needles knit bothV yarns. During this time the auxiliary clearing cam ,842 isfheld.` out ofaction bythe cam45v-onfthe pattern. drum. When Yit V,is timeto make the picot edge` 732, a high 'lugv 836 comes under theA reading,v arm 368, raisingthek lifting bar 846 and the rais- 4150 ing arm 844 to vtheirhiglfiest lpositionsthuslowf.

. drawn, as shown in Fig. 3.

ering the stitch cam 361 to its tuck position (see -Figures 3 and 7). The levellingcam 822 is still held olf `the surface of the main pattern drum by cam 824. The thrust rod 840 for the auxiliary clearing cam 842 is still on the cam 845 `thisi-picot edge by means of tucking for two courses instead of fouras would be obtained by using a high lug 836 on the pattern chain without any other mechanisme-a low lug 837 on the pattern chain can be used, and the cam 66 on the high speedgear 65, acting through the racking rod 725 and the clutch mechanism 728, 723, would cause lowering of the clearingcain 861 for 'only two courses instead of four.

After the picot edge, the pattern chain and the pattern drum are racked ahead the pattern chain reading arm 368 falls off itsA lug, re-

. `turning the stitch cam 361 to its normal position,

ever, after the picot edge, the main pattern drum 120, as already mentioned, was racked ahead by the pattern chain, bringing the yarn finger F1 to its raised position by means of the `thrust rod 738 riding upon the i cam 347A to permit iloating of the heavy yarn 729. As shownin Fig. 9, the thrust rod 460 for the levelling cam still rests on the surface of the low cam 824 and the thrust rod 840 for the auxiliary clearing cam 842 has ridden offl the cam 845, causing insertion of the auxiliary clearing cam 842," The parts are therefore in the position shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 9.

VWith this set-up the needlesnl with jacks 380are raised to the clearing level bytheirjacks, so that they take both yarns, while the jackless needles n2, n3, which were clearedby the auxil iary clearing cam 842 and then lowered to the tucking level by the levelling cam 822, take only the light yarn 730`from the yarn finger F2." The from the yarn finger F1, is thus omitted'for-twc floated yarn, i. e., the heavy yarn 729 coming l courses on those needles, resulting in the ornamental appearance shown in the upper half of Fig. 2. The noats formed in these twocourses on the jackless needles are marked bythe reference character 731. After two courses -of floats, two courses of regular knittingare made merely l by raising the stitch cam 361, and the ornamental structure resulting from this particular *four-v course cycle of the machinecan be repeated to make any desired number of stripes. The low i lug 837 on the pattern chain 85 acts asma master also lowers the needles n3.

lower part of Fig. 2, the machine will at this point be adjusted as follows. The auxiliary clearngcam 842 which was held out of action during the transfer operation by the cam 848 on the main pattern drum 120, returns to action, its thrust rod 840 dropping down on the surface ofthe pattern drum. The yarn nger Fl continues in its raised position, its thrust rod remaining on the cam 847, and the levelling cani. 822 is held in by the low cani 849. Dl

, e 5 was exerting extra pressure on the levelling cani Tit-'ire spring 826 because the arm 825 at this y is given movement inward in order to cause insertion of another cam during transfer, which is operated from the same thrust rod 460. the end ci racking movements for the t sier in in ing an automatic inturned welt, .ir-ust rod for the levelling cam 822 rests on the low 848. By the time the machine has inishedthe transfer operation and is ready lto begin the fancy float stitch in the leg, the pattern disk 438, moving in unison with lthe pattern drum, has been racked ahead until the cam 482 has come under the pattern shaft reading arm 838, thus raising the actuating rod 522 until its upper end lies in the path of the clutch 723. This actuatingrod remains in the path of the clutch and a two-course lowering of the stitch cam 361 alternates `with two courses during which the racking means 66, 725 allow thestitch cam 361 to heraised to its normal level. This cam 482 is of sutiicient length to remain under the reading armthroughout the leg and the cycle of operation which takes place is similar-tothat used in the formation of the stripes in the outer fold of the welt, except for `the fact that the pattern l is not in direct control. When the high e above the heel is reached, the pattern chain isj given a rack and the `thrust rod 460 controlling `the, levelling cam `822 rides oli the drum` cam 849 and the levelling cam is retracted out of the path of the "short, butt needles n2. The yarn finger F1 maintains its raised position, however, and the long butt jacklessneedlesn?continue to float the heavy yarn 729, making the fancy float stitch structure on the front of the stocking. When the i heel is reached a rack on the main pattern drum Ynieves the disk cam 482 from under the pattern shaft reader arm 838, allowing the stitch cam 361 to remain in its normal position shown in dotted Ylines in Fig. 4, the thrust rod 840 for the auxiliary clearingA cam 842 riding up on the cam 850, and the yarn finger F1 is raised by the drum cam 853 and the yarn ngerF2 is alsoraised out of action by a similar high drum cam, while special yyarns lfor the heel are inserted and the levelling cam 822 `is inserted all the way by the drum cam 851.

The long butt needles n3 are raisedby the switch cam 415. At the finish of the heel, the levelling cam 822 withdraws again out ofthe path` of the short buttneedles but remaining in the path .of the long butt needles. This is caused by the thrust rod-460 riding off the cam 851. During this same `rack the auxiliary clearing cam 842 comes back 4intoaction because itsthrust rod 840 drops off the cam 850 down to the surface of the main pattern drum 120 andL the yarn fingers F1 and F2 `are thrown into action again and the other yarn fingers retired. Theyarn finger F1 does not come all the way down to the throat plate, the yarn finger staying in its elevated position as shown in Fig. 4,Y because ,its thrust rod 738 lies on the surface'of a low drum cam 852. The switch cam The making of the plain sole and patterned instep then follows in a ing cam for said needles, a continuously revolving element having cam means thereon, racking means operated thereby, a clutch adapted to be connected to said racking means and a lever connected to said clutch adapted to lower said clearing cam to tuck level and raise it, in combination with lugs of two or more heights on said pattern chain and means actuated by said pattern chain lugs adapted to connect the clutch to the racking means, the lugs of one height lowering the clearing cam directly and the lugs of another height connecting the clutch to the racking means for intermittent lowering and raising of said clearing cam.

10. A circular knitting machine having a circle of independent needles, a pattern chain controlling the operation of the machine, a clearing cam for said needles, a continuously revolving element having cam means thereon, racking means operated thereby, a clutch adapted to be connected to said racking means and a lever connected to said clutch adapted to lower said clearing cam to tuck level and raise it, in combination with lugs of l two or more heights on said pattern chain, means actuated by said pattern chain lugs adapted to connect the clutch to the racking means, the lugs of one height lowering the clearing cam directly and the lugs of another height connecting the clutch to the racking means for intermittent lowering and raising of said clearing cam, 'and means acting independently of said racking means andthe lug,r actuated means for causing the clearing cam to lower from clearing position.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

